Captainkirk
Old School Mopar Warrior
Seems to me (with my foggy memory) there was a guy....maybe a sponsor?...here that did TQ rebuilds and/or hop-ups & mods. Anyone remember who or what company? Thanks
Ive got a pile of parts that use to be a thermoquad if your up for the challenge, LOL
I can do it. Provided you're willin to supply the kit and any pieces missin.....which I may have.
How do the TQ's stack up against Holleys and Eddy Performers in the performance theater? I've always run Holleys and know how to tune them, but something about those mammoth secondaries intrigues me. Anyone running one on a performance motor, and would you recommend it over a Holley, Eddy, Demon or other performance carb?
They stack up better, IMO. I have run a piss load of them. I think they're the best carburetor ever made. That's how it is. You either love them or hate them. PLENTY of stock eliminator records have been set and broken over the years with the TQ. IF they have a shortcoming, it is their primary metering system. In engines with a low vacuum signal (big cam) the metering rods get confused at idle because the vacuum signal goes away. So, they tend to bounce at idle and they do not idle very crisp.....but they still work fine everywhere else.
There's a seller on Ebay called ninja fuel systems that sells tuning kits for TQs that include different springs. That might be a cure. I have also seen people REMOVE the metering rod piston spring altogether, though I have never tried it. For a dual purpose mild to moderate build, they simply cannot be beat. They do have a learning curve regarding tuning, but once you see what everything does, they are easy to understand. They are one of few carburetors that can run just as well on a slant six as a 440 with only minor tuning mods. Also since their primaries are so small, they can get unbelievable gas mileage on the street with mild gearing.
In engines with a low vacuum signal (big cam) the metering rods get confused at idle because the vacuum signal goes away. So, they tend to bounce at idle and they do not idle very crisp.....but they still work fine everywhere else.
The choke can be a challenge to get working since it uses a choke welled bi-metallic spring with the rod going upward from the intake manifold to the carb. A manual choke cable can be adapted. It is a pain to do but with some thinking and creative work, it's a go.
(There is a small primary electric choke version out there. It may not be a MoPar throttle arm though. The TQ was also sold as a aftermarket/replacement carb. Ford used a TQ for 1 year only FWIW.)
If your going to use a aftermarket dual plane, then my two choices would be a Weiand Action Plus or a LD-340 that has been carved to adapt the TQ to fit.
The 2 single plane intakes would be a Holley Strip Dominator or a MoPar M1 single plane.
The low vacuum signal should be addressed with lighter springs on the center rod.
I see a couple posts were added as I typed...mine was outfitted for the thermostatic choke rather than the electric one shown.
Most of them were. The electric choke TQs are rare. I have a few. I try to get them when I can. The only ones that ever came from the factory with electric chokes were from Ford.
The others were never factory provided. They were aftermarket versions from Carter called Superquads. They were made from about the late 70s through the 80s. There were four numbers. Two for Chrysler and two for GM/Ford. 9800S, 9801S, 9810S, 9811S. The 9810 and 9811 were the Chrysler numbers, but the others can be used on a Chrysler with the correct throttle linkage adapter. All four of those Superquad numbers had electric chokes.
The reason the choke cover is unobtanium is because on a TQ with electric choke, the choke spring coils backward from anything else, so no other cover will work.....with some real creative thinking.
Rusty, are there certain mods you do to a TQ for street/strip application that you would recommend?
I wish it was that easy. The TQ is one of those carburetors that's best to adjust everything to factory spec when you build it and then tune it to the running engine... Since they rely so much on engine vacuum and each engine I different, that's the best approach I've found.
You could do what I did and build a bracket to mount the aftermarket TQ choke setup if you don't have the choke well in your manifold.
Anyone know where to find a new choke cover though? Apparently they are made of unobtainium.
Something else to be aware of though is the transfer wells in the bottom of the fuel bowl. They can leak and cause problems. Rusty, do you have a way of repairing them?